Naruto MiniStories
by KiRa-NaRa
Summary: First chapter: Kaede Edagawa was out of control. Then she met Him. Hizashi Hyuuga.
1. The Unknown Truth of the Past

**The Unknown Truth of the Past**

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**I thought I'd start in on a one-shot series. This is gonna be a few chapters long though, so WHAT one-shot? Heheh... anyway, it was SUPPOSED to be a one-shot, but it was too long... oh well. A three/four-shot then. Who cares, eh?**

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**Name**: Kaede Hyuuga (nee Edagawa)

**Age**: 13-24

**Hair**: Mid-back length, bright orange, bangs, the hair in front of her ears is chin length and flipped out

**Eyes**: Brown

**Personality**: Lonely, aggressive, short tempered, likes kids, cares deeply about her friends and loved ones

**Height**: 4'11"-5'4"

**Weight**: 77 lbs-105 lbs

**Bust**: 34 B-34 C

**Body**: Skinny and small

* * *

Before becoming a Genin, she was already out of control. She fell in with "bad kids," and spent her days doing "bad things." Some people cried or begged, but she still beat people senseless…or they beat her. 

"Look at that."

"Dear God."

Kaede slowly opened her eyes. Where was she? Images flashed through her mind… the flashing knives, the blood, the pain… 'Ah, now I remember,' she thought. 'The fight last night… ugh what are those women blabbering about?'

She raised her head a little and glared at the two women staring at her. Yes, she must have been quite a sight, lying on the cold pavement in a back alleyway, covered with blood and bruises. To her great annoyance, one of the women started to walk away.

"I'm going to get the pol – AH!"

Kaede had thrown her boot at the woman's head, barely missing her. She sat up, glaring at those nosy hags who dared to look at her. They cowered under her gaze. "What are _you_ lookin' at, hags?" she growled. "Don't make me break your nose!"

One of the women shivered. "That's so scary…" she muttered.

"How on earth was she raised?" questioned the other.

Slowly, Kaede got to her feet, grabbing her bloody jacket from where it lay in a mangled heap nearby, slowly stalking off as the women looked on in horror.

Parents.

Well, she had them, but she came from a cold household, she would later say with a bitter smile.

Her dad was never home, and when he was, all he cared about was how much money he had and how he could make more. Her mom on the other hand only cared about her family's image. They never went out as a family, and rarely even ate together. She couldn't remember even being held as a child.

* * *

"_Get out_! You're a _disgrace_!" 

Smack! Kakeru Edagawa had slapped his daughter across the face. She had just gotten back from the fight scene and was still covered in blood, although she had wrapped her arms in bandages and had one on her cheek. She hardly even felt the slap. She was cold inside, empty.

"In this world," Kakeru began, "There are people who are needed, and people who _aren't_. You're the latter, you ungrateful child. Never set foot in this house again!"

"Dear, please…" faltered Mai Edagawa, Kaede's mother.

Kakeru ignored his wife and stomped away, back into his office with his precious money.

Mai turned to face her daughter, tears running down her face. "Kaede…" she began, then stopped. She swallowed and tried again. "Kaede-chan. Why is this happening? Why did you turn out like this? Do you realize how angry your father will be at me? Do you know what they neighbors are saying? _Why_? _Why are you like this_?!"

During this speech, Kaede was slowing sensing the feeling coming back into her. Anger. Hurt. And sadness. She clenched her fist and with a bang slammed it against the door behind her. She looked her mother in the eyes, glaring, eyes filled with hate.

"Then you shouldn't have had me." She spat. "Yeah? JUST WHO THE HELL ASKED YOU TO HAVE ME?!"

She later told her husband…that it was like her body was made of broken glass. She couldn't trust anyone. Not her parents, not her friends… she only hurt them. She said that she liked to wander the streets at night. She'd stay out really late. Those nights on the road, she felt like laughing and crying. She felt like she could go anywhere. But at the same time…she couldn't move.

* * *

"_Edagawa_! What on _earth_ are you wearing?!" 

Kaede had, for once, shown up for training. Her sensei, Kazuaki, wanted to enter her team into the Chuunin Exams that summer, but frankly? Kaede just didn't give a damn. It wasn't like it mattered. Her sensei was very strict on his students not only being good shinobi, but looking the part as well, and today, Kaede certainly didn't look the part.

She was wearing a new street fashion. A long, black skirt, a white low-cut top, her black, blood-stained jacket, and a spiked choker necklace. Not only that, but she still had the bandages on her arms and face.

Kazuaki frowned as he looked her up and down. This outfit was completely inappropriate! "It's rare to have you show up for training at all, and now _this_? This…street fashion?"

Kaede shrugged. "Yeah…. So?"

Kazuaki's face reddened in anger. He grabbed Kaede's arm and started dragging her back to his house. "You're coming with me!" he yelled. "I'm calling your parents."

When she finally became a Genin, she hardly ever showed up for training. That's why it really was a coincidence that she met him there at all.

Halfway back to his house, Kazuaki changed his mind. This girl was dangerous, he should take her to someone higher up. Yes, that was the thing to do… and instead he drug her to the Hokage's office. Leading her in, he shoved her forwards, barely noticing as she stumbled over a chair.

The Third Hokage raised an eyebrow. "Kazuaki-san?"

"It's this…girl!" Kazuaki explaimed, jabbing a finger at Kaede. "She's a menace! She's hindering her team mates, who actually CARE about their careers! AH!"

Kaede had just snapped. Picking up a chair, she swung it as hard as she could at her sensei. He just barely managed to jump out of the way. Both he and the Hokage stared at her, horrified.

Kaede's eyes were wide and rather bloodshot. Her cheeks were red and a look of pure contempt was being shot at her sensei and the Hokage. "Shut _UP_, you nosy bastards!" she yelled. "Your squawking's not gonna scare me! GOT THAT?!"

As this was going on, a tall man with long, dark brown hair was on his way to the Hokage's office. He had just gotten back from a mission and needed to collect his payment. He walked through the door just in time to see a young girl with bright orange hair start screaming at the Hokage and another man. He quickly retreated into a corner to see what would happen.

Kazuaki's face turned bright red and he glared at Kaede. "You miserable – stop that!"

The Hokage edged his way around Kaede and went to tell his secretary to quickly call her parents, before things got too out of hand.

Kazuaki shook his head, fed up. "Fine! Just…stay in here until your parents arrive!" With that he slammed the door.

Kaede punched the door out of fury. "YOU CAN'T RUN FROM ME, OLD MAN!" she screamed. "YOU THINK YOU'RE SO HOT, BUT YOU CAN'T DO JACK! MY PARENTS SURE AS HELL AIN'T COMIN'!"

The man from earlier thought he should speak up now. "Hey." He greeted.

Kaede froze.

"What's making you so angry?" the man asked gently.

Kaede turned around slowly and stared at him, her eyes still wide and bloodshot. "…Huh? Who're _you_?" she asked.

He was silent.

Kaede glared some more, but gave up and walked over to a chair, placing her hand on it. Glancing back at him, she frowned. She was NOT going to give HIM a chance to lecture HER!

As he opened his mouth to say something, Kaede cut him off. "Don't even try it! You can take your preaching and shove it up your-"

"I'm not going to preach." Now it was Kaede's turn to be interrupted. "Just tell me what's so irritating."

"That's none of your damn business!" Kaede snapped.

The man shrugged. "Maybe not. But I'm curious."

Kaede spun around and glared at him, her eyes were back to the way they had been before…wide and hate-filled. She looked him in the eyes. "It's EVERYTHING, you prick! God, you're annoying! It's everything, okay?! EVERYTHING PISSES ME OFF!"

The man blinked. Kaede continued.

"Them! And them! And them! And YOU! EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING! I HATE YOUR GODDAMN GUTS!" She paused for breath. God, she hated how that man just looked at her, calm as could be, with those stupid pale purple eyes! Hated it! She clenched her fist tightly. "You just… you all treat people who are different like garbage. But you're all just as bad! QUIT TRYING TO ACT LIKE YOU'RE ALL FRIGGIN' PERFECT!" She slammed her fist down on the desk next to her, seeming to weaken. "Leave me alone. I wish everyone would just…go. Get out of my life. I'd be better off with you dead! Die! Go to hell! DIE!" Each death wish was followed by Kaede slamming her fist down on the desk.

The tall man looked on, calm as ever, even seeming to be amused.

Kaede took a deep breath and resumed her ranting. "_You_ disappear! _You_ fall apart!"

The man decided he should step in before she got herself all riled up again. "Really?" he asked. "I think you _want_ them to care. You want them to look at you, don't you? All those people. You want them to need you. You want them to listen to you.To understand somehow. You want them to accept you. I think… you want them to love you."

Kaede was completely calm now. She stared at the desk. Her anger was being replaced with a different feeling…sadness. A sadness so great, it was threatening to overwhelm her.

The man continued. "You know something?" he asked, smiling gently, "I'm like that, too."

Kaede laid her head on the desk, blinking back tears. What was wrong with her? "Wh-why?" she managed to choke out. "Why did I… turn out… like this?"

The image of her crying mother flashed through her mind. 'Why did you turn out like this?!' she had cried.

"You're asking me?" Kaede continued. "That's what… that's what I wanna know. Why?" Tears were freely flowing down her cheeks now. She unclenched her fist and stared at her hand. The tips of her nails were bloody from where they had dug into her skin and the blood from the cuts in her hand was trickling down her white skin. "Why… did I…?!"

Where did she go wrong? What was her mistake? "I'm miserable," she sobbed, collapsing in a heap on the ground. "I feel so alone!" It was all she wanted. To love people…and be loved. She wanted to be happy. But she knew…she knew she couldn't change.

The man took a step toward her, a slight frown on his face. "You're…lonely?" he questioned. Suddenly he grinned. "All right then!" he said, grabbing Kaede's arm. Kaede looked up at him, mouth hanging open. Why was he acting…friendly towards her? He pulled her to her feet, still grinning. "Let's sneak out of here. Together."

For a minute, Kaede just let herself be drug down the hall, but finally, as she was drug down the street, she found her voice. "Huh? What're you-"

"Oh," the man started, seeming to remember something. "My name's Hizashi Hyuuga, by the way. Nice to meet you." He smiled at her.

She thought he was weird. At first, anyway.

"Hold on." They were at a ramen stand now, already seated. "Is this really okay?"

He shot a glance at her. "Is what okay?"

Kaede was trying not to look at him. "You're a Hyuuga. Won't you get your clan in trouble?"

"Don't worry about it." He replied, grinning. "I'm just a Branch House member. No one important."

"Oh…"

She couldn't tell if he was as gentle as he seemed. He could've been faking the manners. He'd run off with a girl he didn't even know. He'd brought her to a restaurant, calm as could be. He was nuts. Or at least acted it.

"Uh… why do you give a rat's ass about me?" Kaede asked, finally gathering the courage to look at him.

He looked back at her. "Well… why do you think?"

Kaede thought this over for a moment. "….. You think it might be interesting."

Hizashi smiled slightly. "Yes. I _am_ interested. Miss…" he moved her bangs to the side. "…No-Eye-Brows."

Kaede blushed and swatted his hand away. That day, she only knew one thing for sure…. The ramen tasted good. "Hey! Watch the hands, Grabby!" she growled, turning away to hide her blush. "What's wrong with you?!"

"So sorry."

It stung at her wounds. But the ramen they ate was good. She narrowed her eyes… and said that with a smile.

* * *

**Yes, this is a "one-shot" on Neji's mother, Kaede. She kicks ass. Oh, and the nickname "Miss-No-Eye-Brows" comes from the fact that she plucks them, so there pretty much not there. Come to think of it, my cousin does that too... huh. Yeah, anyway, R&R to tell me what you think. BYEZ!**


	2. The Unknown Truth of the Past Part Two

**The Unknown Truth of the Past: Part Two **

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Part Two up! Yay!

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After her first meeting with Hizashi Hyuuga…she started to change.

"Did you get in trouble?" Kaede asked him the next day. "For sneaking me out…

Hizashi shrugged and sat down on a nearby bench. "Not really. I said that you weren't feeling well, so I thought I should send you home. Besides, I have my brother's influence on my side."

Kaede blinked in confusion and sat down next to him. "Influence?"

"My brother's the head of the Hyuuga Clan. He's got a bit of a celebrity status. Everyone's nice to me because of who my brother is. I guess it's because they want favours from him."

Kaede stared at her feet. "That kinda…sucks."

"Sure," Hizashi looked over at Kaede, smiling a little. "But it's not all bad. My brother's influence is worth using. If you know _how_, that is. It saves me from criticism when I try to push the boundaries."

Kaede was so confused. Was he… a rebel? That didn't seem possible. He was too… weird and polite! She looked away from him, her eyebrow twitching. "Whoa," she breathed. "You're, like, the worst person I know."

"Thank you."

"That _wasn't_ a compliment!"

Hizashi stood up. "I have to get back to my training. I take it you won't join me?"

"Damn straight."

"You know, I _would_ like you to train with me sometime, Miss No-Eye-Brows." Hizashi stated, looking back at her. "Even if it's only once."

Kaede growled. "Don't call me that! I drew in my eyebrows, you dingbat. Or didn't you notice?!"

"Of course I noticed." Hizashi replied, turning around and standing in front of her. "Well…you're prettier with eyebrows, I have to admit. Miss No-Eye-Brows…"

"ARGH! I just told you – I have 'em now! So stop calling me that!"

He had strong habits and was fake polite, and cold, in some ways. 'Crap…' Kaede thought, blushing. 'He's messing with me. He's gotta be!' But that didn't stop her from being attracted to him.

She started going to the training grounds a lot. She never actually trained, but she showed up. Hizashi Hyuuga always visited her in the afternoon.

"So how's your training going? You any good?" Kaede asked one day a month later.

"I'm doing well, thank you. The Hokage's thinking of making me a Jounin soon."

Kaede rolled her eyes. "Wonderful…" she muttered.

"Thank you."

"_That's not a compliment_!"

They never talked long, but she looked forward to it.

"Getting into any more fights, Miss No-Eye-Brows?"

"No!"

* * *

"Edagawa! You missed the meeting yesterday!" A tall girl with blonde hair glared at her from a back alleyway. "Are you _trying _to pick a fight?!" 

Kaede glared back at her and her companion. No response.

The other girl, this one with black hair, stared at her before finally stating, "Back out again and the boss is gonna be pissed!"

Kaede closed her eyes and leaned against the alley wall, listening to the girls' footsteps fade away in the distance. 'Hyuuga-san…' she thought absently. 'I wonder if he's asleep? Does he care that I'm drawing on eyebrows and only showing up in the afternoons? I wonder…if he's got a girlfriend. I wonder what he's doing right now?'

* * *

The next day, at the training grounds, Hizashi was talking with Kaede, as usual. "The Hokage gave me a promotion," he stated, smiling. "I'm a Jounin now. I go on my first A ranked mission tomorrow." 

"Uh…okay…" Kaede turned her face away from him, not wanting him to see that she was sad. Kaede thought about all they had discussed since they first met. Whenever he had mentioned his brother, she had seen a look in his eyes that could only be described as hate. "….. Do you hate him? Your brother, I mean." Kaede asked timidly.

Hizashi closed his eyes, seeming to be thinking of a way to put his thoughts into words. "There's a wall between us, but I wouldn't call it hate. But… his son died recently. Since then, he seems to have lost his edge. He doesn't talk much anymore… I kind of pity him."

'I think…' Kaede thought. 'I think he's lonely. I _know_ he's lonely. He's lonely, too. His current 'self' is lonely. If he wasn't, he couldn't have said all that.'

"It's a boring story, isn't it?" Hizashi asked, finishing his story.

"Wha?" Kaede hadn't even realized he was still talking! "Uh, it's not boring! It's not…really!" 'I wanna know more about him.' Kaede thought sadly. 'But…I can't see him anymore. He'll be too busy…'

A few days later, as Hizashi walked through the village entrance gate, he saw Kaede, leaning against a wall, waiting for him. He smiled and walked over to her. She was blushing.

"Thank you for everything, Hyuuga-san," she said. "Look… I, uh, thought I could at least train with you once before you're first mission… I just…I was scared. Of the training grounds." 'There's no place for me there,' she thought to herself. 'I can't join in this late in the game. I can't!' "I…" she tried to continue. "I know I'm not being fair. I got myself into this mess. It just sucks, y'know?"

Suddenly she felt a hand on her arm. Hizashi. "C'mon." he said. "Let me take you somewhere you wanna go."

"Huh?"

* * *

He took her to the ocean. It took a few hours to go to the coast, but it was worth it. Kaede had never seen the ocean before. 

"It's the ocean!" she cheered, jumping up and down. "Ocean, ocean, ocean!"

Hizashi smiled, amused. "You're like a dog, Miss No-Eye-Brows." He stated.

Kaede suddenly frowned. "It's the ocean, isn't it?! STUPID OCEAN!"

Hizashi shook his head. She was so stubborn. "…hearing a kid say that is a first for me," he said.

"Hyuuga-san…thank you." Kaede was standing with her back to him, blushing, with her hands clasped behind her. "Y'know something?" she asked. "You're a nice guy."

Hizashi smiled. "I'm not sure you're right about that," he said.

"Really? I think you're nice." 'You didn't have to care about me, but you did.' Kaede thought, blushing more and smiling. 'Hyuuga-san…I love you.' Kaede came back to earth when a thought struck her. "Hey," she turned around and looked him in the eye, still smiling. "I'm gonna be a better person. You'll see! I'll train, too. I'll go to the Chuunin Exams. I'll give it everything I've got!"

'I hate how immature I am. I'm ashamed of how I've been living. I dunno…maybe it's weird for my age. But if I'd been more open, like the other girls…if I'd lived more like a girl in general…maybe I'd have the confidence to tell him how I feel…without being ashamed.' Kaede thought, hugging Hizashi. "Thank you…"

Hizashi hugged her back. "Hm…" he said thoughtfully. "This goodbye seems pretty final."

Kaede snorted. "It's goodbye, duh. We can't see each other anymore."

"Grow up."

Kaede stared up at him, surprised. She couldn't recall him ever speaking so sharply to her.

He stared back at her. "There are plenty of other places we can see each other. If you think that tiny training ground is the entire world, you've proven that you're only a child." He suddenly grinned. "Besides… it's hard to train by yourself."

* * *

Back then, she didn't know the reason he came to see her. She was happy, but confused. The years passed, and Kaede STILL wasn't ready for the Chuunin Exams. She had nearly given up… but she knew she had to keep trying. It would be a disgrace to be a Genin forever. 

Hizashi still liked to tease Kaede. One day, Kaede came to the training grounds without any of her hair flipped out. Hizashi found this funny. "Your hair looks lovely when you leave it down," he teased.

"You're always picking on people! It SUCKS!" Kaede replied, pretending to be angry.

He helped her train every day if he had free time. He thought she should enter the upcoming Chuunin Exam, that she was finally ready. She'd been training with him for four years… and now she was ready.

But then she was punished.

* * *

Blood dripped from her face. Kaede raised a hand and felt the knife wound in her cheek. Her hand came back covered with blood. 

"You wanna leave the gang that bad?" sneered the black haired girl from a few years ago. "Show us _how_ bad, princess." She was holding a kunai. "You're such a moron. You can't fix what's been so badly broken."

* * *

When Kaede came to, she was in the hospital. The police and her sensei came to see her, but her parents gave some excuse not to. She couldn't enter the Chuunin Exam. 

"Dammit…" she muttered. "He did so much to help me train." She looked out the window of her hospital room, watching the rain hit the glass. "...Dammit. I can't face him."

One phrase kept echoing in her head. "You got what you deserved."

* * *

THUD! Kaede looked at the suitcase her father had dropped in front of her. She had just been released from the hospital, just walked through the front door. She stared at her father, confused.

"Get out." Kakeru ordered, pointing at the bag. ""Now that you've been discharged, we're disinheriting you…No. We're denying you altogether."

Kaede stared at her parents. Her angry father, her crying mother.

Kakeru wasn't finished. "It's just like they say. Live how you want, die how you want…but don't you dare burden us with all of this again!"

'I got what I deserved.' Kaede thought sadly. 'I did whatever the hell I wanted…and now I'm being punished.'

"So she didn't turn out how you wanted. That means she isn't yours?" said a voice from behind her.

Kaede spun around and cried out in surprise. "Hyuuga-san…?"

Hizashi was glaring at her parents. "If she makes a mistake, you won't acknowledge her as your daughter? I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were saints."

Her parents were staring at him, shocked.

"Well…unless you believe you can drop parenthood the minute it becomes inconvenient."

Kaede lightly touched his arm. "It's ok, Hyuuga-san. Just leave it…"

Her father interrupted. "This is a private family matter!"

"I do hate to give you my opinion," Hizashi stated, suddenly wrapping his arm around Kaede's waist. "But you're her parents, so I have to. I wanna marry this imperfect girl."

Kaede's eyes widened in shock. "…Huh?"

Her father looked more surprised than she felt. "Marry? _Her_? Are you sane, sir?"

Hizashi smiled. "I'd like to think that I am. At least, more so than _you_." He paused. "…Do you object?

Kakeru frowned and shook his head. "This world never ceases to amaze me. Do what you want – she's no longer in this household."

"Dear…" Mai faltered timidly.

Hizashi picked up Kaede's bag. "I might call you again if I need you for the paperwork."

Kakeru shrugged. "If it's not a bother, I don't care. Now get out."

"Dear!" Mai exclaimed in dismay. She was ignored.

Hizashi grabbed Kaede's hand and dragged her out of the house, releasing her once they reached and road. Kaede followed him, still bewildered.

"I was worried when I suddenly stopped hearing from you." Hizashi stated, not looking at her.

"Hyuuga-san…"

"I had to call. Your mother said you were leaving the hospital today…I couldn't believe what happened to you."

"Hyuuga-san!!" Kaede exclaimed, trying to get his attention. "H- _Hizashi_!" she yelled.

Hizashi stopped walking and looked back at her.

"Wh-what you said earlier. You weren't serious, were you?" she asked.

Hizashi seemed surprised she would even ask that. "Of course I was," he replied. "I'm sorry I had to propose like that."

"…It's okay. It's okay! Really! You don't have to go that far for me!" Kaede exclaimed, dismayed. "You don't have to do all this just to look out for me! You can throw me out. You did enough. I'm okay. You don't have to do all this anymore!"

"I'm hurt. Really." Hizashi said. "You think I said that out of pity? Don't you trust me?"

"But…!" Kaede faltered. "I-I just don't get it! Why would you choose _me_?! Why?! I don't get you at all!"

"Because you cried."

Kaede blinked and stared at him.

Hizashi continued. "When you cried and confessed to loneliness, you seemed very human to me. So…that's when I fell in love. For a time I also misunderstood. I thought everyone around me was trash. But I couldn't be so painfully honest and cry. I _can't_ cry. At the time, you were still too young, and I was sensitive to that. But I never intended to let you get away." Hizashi suddenly stepped forward in front of Kaede and placed a hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "So? Choose me. If you still can't believe me, I'll say whatever you need to hear. I'll say it as often as you like. Just remember…that I don't like wasting words." He leaned in a little, so he was nearly nose-to-nose with Kaede. Kaede's cheeks were bright red. "Choose me, Kaede."

Kaede looked away, blushing bright red. She snickered. "Hizashi. Do you have a Lolita complex? Where do you learn words like that?" She hugged him, burying her face in his chest.

Hizashi smiled. He put his hand under her chin again. She looked back up at him. He moved forward and kissed her. When he pulled away a minute later, Kaede was smiling.

"You're such a loser…" she mumbled, placing her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you."

"Not a compliment."

* * *

**I think it's really romantic how they came together. But that's just me. R&R to tell me what you thought! Bye!**


	3. The Unknown Truth of the Past Part Three

**The Unknown Truth of the Past: Part Three **

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WOOT, Second last section of this mini-fic! Neji's in it! YAY! GO FOREST-ASS (inside joke)

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"It's got _nothin'_ to do with me! I don't _want_ it! Get it _away_ from me!" 

Hizashi was trying to convince Kaede to buy a dress for their wedding, but so far she wasn't being very cooperative.

"I don't really mind either way," he stated. "But it's rare to find a woman so opposed to a wedding."

"IT'S GROSS AND I'M NOT DOING IT!" Kaede shrieked. "That's not why I'm marrying you!"

"Yes, yes."

The two got married. It was just them. Nobody celebrated it. All the Hyuugas were against it apparently. They lived in a small house in the Hyuuga Compound.

One day a few days after their wedding, Hizashi came home to find Kaede reading a home magazine, and looking at pictures of rings.

"Since when do you read this?" he asked. "Maybe you _do_ want a ring?"

"Nah, I'm good." Kaede replied. "I'd just lose the thing." She flipped the page and pointed to a picture of a blender. "I want this blender. Check it out! When you're tired after training or a mission, I'll make something for you!"

"Wow. I'll bet you could make something disgusting."

"Don't prejudge me, smart guy."

On his days off, the two of them went out. It didn't matter where they went. They just had to be together.

"Huh? I guess he's home already." Kaede said, noticing the lights in their house on one day, as she came home from shopping.

Hizashi was waiting for her when she opened the door. "Welcome home, Miss No-Eye-Brows."

Kaede grinned. "It's weird that I'm home last." She said, handing him one of the bags.

"Variety's the spice." Was his reply as he took the bag from her.

The fact that they were together…that was all that mattered.

* * *

Three years after getting married, Kaede started throwing up often. After a few weeks of this, Hizashi came home only to receive some shocking news from his wife. 

"You're pregnant?" he asked. "Then…you went to the hospital alone? Why?"

Kaede was sitting on the kitchen floor, staring at her knees, refusing to look at him. She seemed to be crying.

"…What's the matter?" Hizashi asked, concerned.

Kaede sniffed. "I… I-I don't… I don't think I can handle a baby," she choked. "I'm happy to have yours and all…but… A baby! It's a whole other human being! Can I…do that? Give birth to a human being? Do I have the right to?

"I'm not an idiot. I know I've lived a rotten life. I don't… I don't think I can do it. Give birth to a person. Raise another human being.

"What if the baby's miserable because of me? It could get picked on. Or hurt. It could cry because of me! What if it said…it didn't wanna be born? Not from me?"

'Yeah? Just who the hell asked you to have me?!' she had told her mother. 'Dammit…' she thought. '_Dammit_! How could I have said that? I wonder how Mom felt when I said that to her face? I'd wanna die if my kid said that. _I'd wanna die_. But I did it. I said such a terrible thing. It would destroy me if I heard it. But I had no problem telling _her_.'

"Kaede." Hizashi hugged her, stroking her hair gently. "You've already proven that you understand. I'm sure you'll be fine. As fellow humans, we just have to remember…we know what we like done to us, and we know what tears us apart. We'll hold this child often. We'll listen to it. If it does something wrong, we'll explain why it's wrong. We'll be very clear."

Kaede sobbed a little.

Hizashi hugged her tighter and kept going. "Listen," he told her. "We may give into our feelings and end up striking it, but we'll make sure to apologize. Then we'll hold it again. Together. How about that? We'll raise it like that."

'Not…by myself.' Kaede thought happily. '_Together_.'

"…I want you to have the baby, Miss No-Eye-Brows."

Kaede smiled and kissed him. "Yeah…"

And that…was how he was born. The most precious thing in the world.

* * *

"Neji." Hizashi picked up his son. "Let's go for a walk, Neji." 

Kaede's older sister, Yoko, sighed. "That name is so feminine. I'm still getting used to it."

Kaede smiled. "Hizashi says it brings out his hidden flavour."

"Hidden what?"

"Like how you add salt to something sweet to make it better. He wants Neji to be like that."

Yoko laughed and sat down on the porch stairs next to her sister. "There it is again. A line of reasoning that I _almost_ – but don't quite – understand."

Kaede laughed, too. "You know Hizashi. But I do get what he's trying to say."

"Is Hizashi doing his fair share of the parental duties?" Yoko asked.

Kaede nodded. "Yup! He's good with the bath. You should see it, Nii-chan!"

"Kaede…" Yoko suddenly grew serious. "When you told me you were getting married…I was very happy. You never showed any attachment or passion. And now, here you are, honestly in love." She smiled slightly. "…Humans are strange creatures. As people come across one another, they produce various outcomes. Good things, sometimes, and other times, bad.

"I was a terrible sister. I let you go through all that by yourself. But you became happy, as you should."

Kaede felt tears stinging at her eyes. "Nii-chan… I don't hate you. I come to see you. I think it's pretty obvious I'm not mad."

"Kaede." Hizashi's voice caught Kaede's attention.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"It's a little cold. Did we bring Neji's coat?"

"Yes – it's in the bag. I'll go get it."

"I'll get it myself, thank you." He dropped Neji in Yoko's lap and went inside to find the bag.

Yoko smiled at her nephew.

Time passed quietly and softly. Neji's changed a lot since he was little.

* * *

It had been three years since Kaede had Neji. Since then, she'd died her hair brown, her excuse being that she felt out of place among the darker haired Hyuugas. Hizashi had to admit, brown hair did suit her better. 

The three of them still went out, together, and smiling. She watched him. When Hizashi held Neji, his face was so gentle. She loved it so much, she wanted to cry. She was happy enough to cry, and that feeling stayed with her for another year. The year Neji received the curse mark all Hyuuga Branch House members had branded into their foreheads.

Then something happened. Kaede didn't know what it was, since no one would tell her, but she could tell it was something bad. Hizashi spent a lot of time at meetings with the other Hyuugas now, hardly ever coming home until late at night.

"Hizashi…you're coming home tomorrow, right?" she asked him over the phone.

"Yes."

"Why won't you tell me what's going on?!"

"Because it's nothing you need to worry about."

"That's no excuse! You're making me worry. I wanna know what's going on!"

She heard him laugh. "It's nothing serious. I'll be home tomorrow. This is almost over."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. How's Neji, anyway?"

Kaede leaned over from the chair she was sitting on to make sure Neji was still asleep in bed. He was. "He's fine. He's asleep in bed right now."

"All right."

There was a pause on the other line. "I've been thinking…do you think it's time…to make him a sibling?"

Kaede was shocked into silence. She found her voice again after a minute. "Oh, is that what you want?"

"Yes."

She laughed. "Wow."

"I'll call you again in the morning."

"Okay. Get some sleep."

"I will. You get some sleep yourself. Good night… Miss No-Eye-Brows."

* * *

The next morning, Kaede smiled when she heard the phone ring. "That must be Daddy!" she exclaimed hugging Neji. She ran to the phone eagerly and picked it up. "Hello?" There was a pause. "Hello?" 

Neji looked over curiously. Kaede was standing in the next room, frozen.

* * *

Kaede sat in the dark room, staring blankly at the corpse of her husband. She had gotten a call that morning from the clan's leader. He'd broken the news to her. Hizashi had given his life to save the village. It was because of him that Hidden Cloud wouldn't declare war on the village again.

* * *

At the funeral, Kaede stood by herself a little ways off from the others. They were whispering to each other, and looking at her. "What was his wife doing? Why didn't she try to stop him?" "She was just fooling around." "I was against their marriage from the start." "She was only cheating him." "What will they do with their child?" "Poor Hizashi-kun." "He was better off single." 

'More….more…' Kaede thought, hugging herself to keep her tears from spilling over. 'Keep blaming me…I want you to just…keep making it my fault. Beat the hell out of me…More…more…Blame me more…keep me from standing…ever again.'

Neji watched his mother from where he stood with his aunt, watching as his mother slowly started to cry.

It was too short. Hizashi Hyuuga was cremated. After that…he was smoke and white ash. The whole thing was too short.

* * *

The day after her husband's funeral, Kaede had to go to the mortuary to pick up the things Hizashi had left her and Neji in his will…which was more-or-less everything. 

"I'm sorry to make you come all this way," the mortician apologized. "We thought we would arrange everything and send it to you…but then we thought that Hyuuga-san would want someone from his family to do it." The mortician led her through the halls of the mortuary to a small room at the far end of it. He opened the door. "This is the room we're keeping his things in. I'll be in the next room over, so please, call me if you need anything." With that he closed the door, leaving Kaede inside.

Kaede looked around emotionlessly. Something caught her eye and she walked over to it. It was a picture frame. Kaede picked it up and looked at. It had three pictures in it. The one in the center was one of her, Hizashi, and Neji together. She smiled, and brushed her thumb over it.

But looking at it made her sad. A sob escaped from her throat and tears started running down her cheeks. "Nn… nngh…" She tried to hold back more sobs. Looking around the room frantically, the reality of what had happened finally started to sink in. "Nn…" 'He's not here.' She thought. 'He's not here anymore. He's not anywhere anymore. He's not here! Hizashi!' She fell to her knees. "D – do… _Don't leave me_! _Please_!" she sobbed. "Don't…leave me…!"

'Hizashi. He's not here anymore. He's not anywhere. I'll never see him…ever again.'

* * *

**Awww, poor Kaede-chan. This makes me sad, and I'm the one who wrote it! Yeah, R&R, you know the drill. BYEZ!!!**


	4. The Unknown Truth of the Past Part Four

**The Unknown Truth of the Past: Part Four **

* * *

Last section of this mini-fic! If you'd like, you can vote on which character's mother you'd like to see next... or you can vote on a normal character and tell me if you want one on one of my OCs. Anyway, the characters have to be one of the Konoha 11 if you're voting for a mother. If not, I don't care which characters you vote for.

* * *

'Why is the day still coming? Why are those people smiling? Why does the TV try to tell me the damn weather? _Why_?' Kaede was lying on the ground in her room, staring into space. Neji was watching her sadly from the doorway.

'On the day Hizashi died… why didn't the world die with him?'

She later said that she didn't remember much from the period right after he died. It was a blank. The only thing she knew was her constant despair.

"I'm only saying this once. Don't try coming back here with that child. We have no intention of taking you back."

"…You called to say that?"

"I did."

"…Dad…you told me a long time ago…that in this world there are people who are needed and people who aren't." Kaede said to her father over the phone. "That was a lie. Wasn't it?"

"Wha-?" Kaede didn't give him a chance to say anything. She just hung up the phone.

'It's a lie.' She thought. 'There's _nobody_ needed in this world. Nobody.' "Not a single person…" she muttered. As usual, Neji was standing unnoticed in the doorway. 'Parents. Teachers, great men and women…kids or adults… Me. Or Hizashi. The world doesn't need any of us. The world doesn't care who lives and who dies. It still keeps bringing days and nights and time. I'm sure that the world… doesn't need anyone. What a miserable fate. It's so lonely and depressing.

'I'm sure that's why people search for one another. They need that.' Kaede sat down next to an open window and stared up at the sky blankly. 'They want to be needed. They need someone who'll fit that… Hizashi…Hizashi was mine. Hizashi was that "someone." I needed him. I loved him. But after I finally found him…'

The image of how he would always welcome her home flashed through her mind. 'Welcome home, Kaede.' She stared at the ground. 'No matter where I go back to…there's no one to welcome me.'

* * *

The next morning, Kaede was sitting in a corner of the living room, randomly flipping through channels on the TV. Neji was sitting near the TV, just watching the channels flicker by. 

Finally Kaede stopped. It was a show on spiritualists.

"I feel a very great power behind you," the spiritualist was saying.

"What?!" the other woman exclaimed.

"Oh, it's all right. There's no need to be afraid. It seems to be your late husband."

"Is…is he really here?"

"He is. It seems he came to see you."

The woman on the screen started to cry.

"Your husband has passed away?" the spiritualist asked.

"Y-yes. He was sick." More crying.

"Your husband's been very worried about you. You mustn't cry for him forever. He's watching over you, so you have to be strong."

Kaede stood up, dropping the TV remote on the ground. "I-I wanna see him," she said quietly. "I wanna go see Hizashi."

Neji watched as his mother left the room.

'Where are you?' Kaede thought, stepping out onto the roof of her house. 'Where can we meet again? Maybe… I should follow you…'

She stepped the edge of the roof and looked down. It was quite a drop. She blinked. She could almost see Hizashi standing on the ground below, smiling up at her. 'Miss No-Eye-Brows.' Kaede smiled. She started to step off the roof, but was startled by a cry.

"…Mom!"

She looked down. There was a little boy with his mother across the road. The boy looked impatient.

"Mom, hurry up!" he was saying.

"Hold on, I'm not sure the tickets…Here they are. Thank goodness." The mother said, sounding relieved.

"We're gonna miss the train, Mom!"

The mother laughed. "We'll be fine, sweetie."

Kaede watched the two of them walk away with blank eyes. Her eyes suddenly widened when she remembered-

"Neji." Kaede ran back into the house. 'When was the last time I spoke with him?' she thought frantically. 'I haven't talked to him. I haven't heard his voice at all. What did I do about meals? It's all a blank. I can't remember. I think Lord Hiashi came by a few times, but…'

She dashed into her room, where the stairs to the roof was. 'Neji. Neji!' She opened her door and there was Neji, sitting against a wall, asleep. He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Hi. Welcome home." He said.

Kaede felt tears welling up in her eyes. "I… I'm ho…" she choked. "…I'm sorry!" she managed to get out. Running forward, she hugged her son, crying. "I'm home! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm home…!"

'What's wrong with me?' she thought. 'I always have to screw up once. It's the only way I learn.'

"I'm sorry!" she said again. "I'm sorry you had to wait. Thank you, Neji. For waiting for me."

'Maybe it's true. Maybe the world doesn't need me. But there's still one person who's kind enough to need me. I only need that to live. That's all I need.'

* * *

**DONE! AWS YEAH!! I thought this was very good. And it only took two days to write! BEAT THAT!!! Anyway, R&R with your votes or I get to decide the next mini-fic. Mu ha ha! BYE!**


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